Aster plant named &#39; Mystery Lady Grace&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Aster plant named ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’, characterized by its upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit, dark green foliage, freely flowering habit, decorative-type inflorescences with violet ray florets, and few disk florets (i.e., “double” capitulae.)

LATIN NAME OF GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Symphyotricium novi-belgii

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Aster plant, botanically known as Symphyotricium novi-belgii, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’.

The new Aster is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Malling, Denmark. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Aster cultivars with uniform plant growth habit, desirable floret colors, and good postproduction longevity.

The new Aster originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Malling, Denmark in September 2009, between the Aster cultivar named ‘MYSTERY LADY MARLENE’ (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/064,118) as seed parent, and the Aster cultivar named ‘RH 06-515-005’ (unpatented) as pollen parent. The new Aster was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Malling, Denmark. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit and desirable inflorescence form and ray floret color.

Asexual reproduction of the new Aster by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Malling, Denmark during June, 2010. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Aster are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day-length, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ as a new and distinct Aster cultivar:

1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit;

2. Dark green foliage;

3. Freely flowering habit;

4. Decorative-type inflorescences with purple-violet colored ray florets; and

5. Few disk florets (i.e., “double” capitulae).

Plants of the instant cultivar ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ differ primarily from plants of the seed parent, the unpatented cultivar named ‘RH 06-515-005’, in the following characteristics:

1. plants of ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ are more compact than plants of ‘RH 06-515-005’;

2. plants of the ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ have more ray florets per inflorescence than plants of the cultivar ‘RH 06-515-005’; and

3. plants of the ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ have different ray floret coloration than plants of the cultivar ‘RH 06-515-005’.

Plants of the instant cultivar ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ also differ from plants of the cultivar ‘MYSTERY LADY CELINE’ (CPVO Application No. 2007/2428) in that plants of ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ have violet ray florets, while ‘MYSTERY LADY CELINE’ has purple-violet ray florets.

Plants of the instant cultivar ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ also differ from plants of the cultivar ‘VICTORIA FANNY’ (Patented, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,360) in the following characteristics:

1. plants of ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ have more ray florets per inflorescence (about 250) than plants of ‘VICTORIA FANNY’ (about 150); and

2. plants of ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ have violet colored ray florets (RHS 83B), while plants of ‘VICTORIA FANNY’ have violet ray florets (RHS 88B to 88C).

Plants of the instant cultivar ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ also differ from plants of the cultivar ‘MYSTERY LADY DEBBIE’ in the following characteristics:

1. plants of ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ have spatulate, twisted ray forest while plants of ‘MYSTERY LADY DEBBIE’ have flat, lanceolate ray florets; and

2. plants of ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ have a predominant violet color (RHS 83B) while plants of ‘MYSTERY LADY DEBBIE’ have a predominant violet-blue color (RHS 90A).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Aster ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which more accurately describe the actual colors of ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’.

FIG. 1 shows a side-top down perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of typical flowers (capitulae) of ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’.

FIG. 3 shows a close up view of the upper surfaces of typical inflorescences and leaves of ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’ (coded 09-131-002) as compared to ‘MYSTERY LADY DEBBIE’ and ‘VICTORIA FANNY’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 4^(th) Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown and flowered during the autumn in Malling, Denmark, in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Aster production. During the production of these plants, day and night temperatures were about 18 to 20 degree C.

3 cuttings were planted in 9.5 cm pots and pinched twice and treated three times with growth retardant daminozide. Plants were about 10 weeks old when the photographs and the botanical description were taken.

-   Classification: -   Botanical: Symphyotricium novi-belgii -   Parentage:     -   -   Female (seed) parent.—Aster cultivar named ‘RH 06-515-005’             (Breeder Reference, unpatented).         -   Male (pollen) parent.—Aster cultivar named ‘MYSTERY LADY             MARLENE’ (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/064,118). -   Propagation: -   Type cutting: Terminal vegetative cuttings. -   Time to initiate roots: Summer: About 12 days at 21° C. Winter:     About 13 days at 21° C. -   Root habit: Freely branching. -   Root color: White, close to RHS 155D. -   Root texture: Fine, fibrous. -   Plant description: -   Form: Herbaceous, decorative-type potted plant, with stems upright     and somewhat outwardly spreading, inverted conical plant habit,     appropriate for 9-15 cm containers. -   Plant height (from pot rim to top of plant plane): About 14-17 cm. -   Plant spread (width): About 25 cm. -   Lateral branches:     -   -   Length.—About 6-8 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Angle.—Mostly erect.         -   Texture.—Glaucescent.         -   Color.—RHS 137C, green. -   Foliage description: -   Leaves:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, subulate, decurrent.         -   Overall shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex shape.—Acute.         -   Base shape.—Decurrent, auriculate, ½ clasping.         -   Length.—Up to 7 cm.         -   Width.—Up to 15 mm.         -   Margin.—Dentate.         -   Texture (both sides).—Glabrous, smooth, leathery.         -   Foliage color.—Mature: Upper surface: Green, RHS 139A. Under             Surface: Gray-green, RHS 189A. Immature: Upper surface:             Green, RHS 139A. Under Surface: Gray-green, RHS 189A.         -   Venation.—Color: Upper surface: Green, RHS 139A-C. Under             surface: Yellow-green, RHS 146B.         -   Roots.—Texture: fine, fibrous. Color: Gray-white, RHS 156D. -   Inflorescence description: -   Inflorescence arrangement and shape: Upright decorative-type     capitulate inflorescences in very tight corymbose stands; spatulate,     twisted ray florets and some tubular disk florets; terminal to few     axillary inflorescences; disk and ray florets develop acropetally on     a capitulum. Persistent. -   Natural flowering season: Late summer. 5 weeks of long day     treatments (20 hours) induces budding. -   Flower longevity: Inflorescences maintain good color and substance     for about five weeks in an interior environment, longer if     temperatures are kept below 20 degree C. -   Inflorescence size:     -   -   Height.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 3.5 cm. -   Number of inflorescences per plant: About 50. -   Buds:     -   -   Length.—About 6 mm.         -   Diameter.—About 7 mm.         -   Shape.—Globular.         -   Color.—Yellow-green, RHS147B. -   Peduncles:     -   -   Length.—1 cm.         -   Diameter.—3 mm.         -   Color.—Green, RHS 137A. -   Ray florets:     -   -   Arrangement.—In about 12 whorls.         -   Quantity per inflorescence.—About 250-300.         -   Length.—About 11 mm.         -   Width.—About 3 mm.         -   Overall shape.—Linear, twisted.         -   Apex.—Rounded.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Orientation.—Initially upright, later more horizontal.         -   Aspect.—Twisted to slightly involute.         -   Color when opening.—Upper surface: Violet, RHS 83B; Under             surface: Violet, RHS 83B.         -   Color when opened.—Upper surface: Violet, RHS 83B. Under             surface: Violet, RHS 83B.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Tubular, in 5 fused petals,             parchment-like. Length: 1 mm. Color: Base: Light green, RHS             142D Middle: White, RHS 155A Tip: Violet, RHS 84A. -   Involucres — phyllaries:     -   -   Quantity per inflorescence.—About 40 to 50.         -   Length.—About 5 mm.         -   Width.—Less than 3 mm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate, fused.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Setulose edges, verrucose             abaxial.         -   Color.—Upper and under surfaces: RHS 137A-D. -   Reproductive organs: -   Androecium: Present only in disk florets     -   -   Stamen.—Quantity: 5, fused Length: 4 mm Color:             Grayed-yellow, RHS 162B.         -   Pollen.—Present. -   Gynoecium:     -   -   Quantity per floret.—1.         -   Stigma.—Shape: Bifurcate Color: White, RHS 155D. -   Seed/fruit: None observed. -   Weather tolerance: None observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: None observed. -   Disease/pest susceptibility: None observed. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Aster plant designated ‘MYSTERY LADY GRACE’, as illustrated and described herein. 